Peruvians pose what might be a final challenge to the ecosystem
supported by the giant huarango tree, which is coveted as a source
of charcoal and firewood.
Smokestack scrubbers will eliminate most of the sulfur emissions
from the coal-fired Kingston Fossil Plant, but they will also
produce a new waste stream.
Officials have banned septic tanks in parts of Malibu, ending years
of wrangling among surfers, environmentalists and residents in the
celebrity-filled community.
A growing number of Muslims seem to accept the idea of a very old
planet but reject human evolution, international academics said at
a recent conference.
As many as 25 percent of the American farmers growing genetically
engineered corn are no longer complying with federal rules intended
to maintain the resistance of the crops to damage from insects.
The move suggested that President Obama and Democratic supporters
of the bill will have serious problems assembling the votes needed
to enact it when it comes to the Senate floor.
Mr. Belton was almost single-handedly responsible for the current
body of knowledge of the bird life of Rio Grande do Sul, the
southernmost Brazilian state.
Chronic pain affects more than 70 million Americans, which makes it
more widespread than heart disease, cancer and diabetes combined.
So why don't more doctors and researchers take it seriously?
Scientists said waves produced when the Thera volcano blew more
than 3,000 years ago inundated the area that is now Israel and
probably other coastal sites.
Michael Specter’s hotly argued diatribe targets those he thinks are
emblems of stubbornly anti-scientific thinking, like Prince
Charles, Dr. Andrew Weil and Whole Foods.
Mr. Qian was a rocket scientist who led China’s space and military
rocketry efforts after he was drummed out of the U.S. during the
redbaiting of the McCarthy era.
Studies have found that, even after increasing sleep, it can take a
week or more for the cognitive and physiological consequences of
too little rest to wear off.
PFCs are everywhere--from Teflon pans to stain resistant carpeting
and take-out food containers. A new study shows a strong
association between these chemicals and increased human cholesterol
levels.
While the Monterey County Agricultural Commissioner's office often
restricts pesticide use near sensitive locations, such as schools,
beyond what the law requires, some worry the limits aren't enough.
News headlines suggested that a new study found that nanoscale
materials, used in everything from medical imaging to cancer
treatment, can damage genetic material in our bodies. But this
particular study has little relevance to human exposure risks, and
it is deeply flawed in other ways.
Two-year-old children are being exposed to dangerous levels of
hormone-disrupting chemicals in domestic products such as rubber
clogs and sun creams, according to an EU investigation being
studied by the government.
Federal scientists and critics of the Marine Corps say an
undisclosed contract with the National Research Council, obtained
by the St. Petersburg Times on Friday, is a blatant conflict of
interest, in the ongoing saga of Marines exposed to polluted water
at Camp Lejeune.
A Nigerian man was detained on suspicion of the illegal export of
electronic waste from Britain, part of a crackdown on a trade which
leaves thousands of tonnes of broken and contaminated electrical
goods dumped in the developing world each year.
In a test of six popular brands of bagged soil, it was found that
none contained toxic levels of lead, zinc or arsenic. But all
contained at least some contaminants, and that's either
non-problematic or troubling, depending on whom you ask.
It takes a lot to frighten Albertha Hasten, a campaigner for poor
citizens of Louisiana, and fellow African-Americans, who suffer
disproportionately from contaminated air, water and soil. She fears
that this group is going to be threatened again by rising sea
levels and hurricanes as a result of climate change.
Big polluting companies around the world, employing thousands of
lobbyists, are exerting heavy pressure on governments to weaken
climate change laws and slow progress on an international climate
agreement in Copenhagen, a global investigation reveals.
Once, caribou wandered over the Arctic tundra in herds that took
days to pass. So great were their numbers - even 20 years ago -
that they were able to shake off man's puny imprint on the great
barren lands like so many flies on a rump.
After a year of chemical spills, water well contamination and an
explosion caused by leaking underground methane, Cabot Oil and Gas
has been fined $120,000 and ordered to abide by a set of strict
regulations if it wants to continue its vast natural gas drilling
operation in Pennsylvania.
In the last year, the federal government has stepped up their game
and promised to do more to clean up the Chesapeake Bay. But the
steps the federal government is taking can be confusing.
Interest in high-speed rail was lukewarm until President Obama
packed $8 billion for it into the stimulus package. Now,
standing-room-only crowds show up when rail is on the agenda.
Judges threw out all evidence about Las Brisas Energy Center’s
economic impact Friday after a contentious morning of testimony in
which a local physician debated the subject with the proposed
plant’s lead attorney.
The Saluda River—a drinking water source for 500,000 people in
South Carolina—is the sixth-most endangered river in the nation,
according to American Rivers.
The permit, which is up for renewal, would limit mercury emissions
at the plant to 176 pounds a year — more than the company’s own
estimated emissions for 2008, which were 146 pounds.
Living close to highways and other sources of air pollution is
linked to higher rates of a lung infection called bronchiolitis,
the number one reason for infant hospitalizations in North America.
The race is on bewteen Los Angeles and San Francisco to see which
of the two cities can divert more waste to composting programs.
With the recent mandatory food-scrap recycling program in San
Francisco, the Bay Area has taken the lead.
In Japan, every day is hand-scrubbing, mask-wearing day. But the
nation got into the spirit of Global Hand Washing Day anyway with a
special dance, DVDs, posters and pamphlets.
Anxious health officials in Saudi Arabia say that for the first
time in recorded history, a global pandemic could affect the hajj,
the annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca. The H1N1 virus is a major
concern for authorities.
Men who regularly get moderate exercise may have a lower risk of
developing prostate cancer -- including aggressive, fast-growing
tumors, a new study finds.
The H1N1 pandemic flu virus could kill up to 40,000 people across
Europe and be followed by seasonal flu waves that could kill the
same number, European health experts said on Friday.
Some countries have been "ambushed" by sudden severe outbreaks of
disease and death from the H1N1 flu pandemic, and have gone over
the top in their response, a European flu specialist said on
Friday.
Some pigs, turkeys and household pets have become infected with the
H1N1 flu, but the pandemic virus does not yet appear to be
spreading quickly among animals, the World Health Organization said
on Friday.
The Shanghai Health Bureau acted quickly Friday to avert panic with
the official line: There is no outbreak of swine flu in the city
schools. Students and teachers of city primary and middle schools
are key targets for free swine flu vaccinations next week.
NYT > Science